Means for trimming articles



1,625,332 Aprll 19, 1927. W H. POTTER MEANS FOR TRIMMING ARTICLES Filed July 25, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2/ JIUL H I V 542 24 v /3? 5 56 f lm I H462 {g 5 -20 April 19 1927.

W. H. POTTER MEANS FOR TRIMMING ARTICLES Filed July 25, 1923 2 $heots-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 19, 1927.

UNlTED STATES WILLIAM HENRY POTTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MEANS FOR TRIMMING ARTICLES.

Application filed an as, 1923. Serial No. 653,668.

This invention relates to improvements in means for trimming articles, and more specifically to a trimming mechanism for use with a machine used in the processing of articles.

An object of this invention is to improve the trimming of articles.

Another object is to adjust the effective speed and feed of an article trimming means associated with a substantially constant speed article processing machine.

A further object is to render a trimming mechanism capable of being mounted on either the stationary or the movable die, or associated parts of an article processing machine, and driven from the same or another member.

In order to attain these objects there is provided in accordance with one embodiment of the invention a trimming mechanism which may be adjustably situated upon a suitable carriage or mounting which can be located upon either a fixed or a movable member of a machine having mutually reciprocating parts, such mechanism being adapted for operation from either the same or the other member, and which is positively directed toward the blank being subjected to the action of the parts These and other features of the invention not specifically mentioned will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device mounted on a movable member of a thread rolling machine and arranged to be driven from the opposite member;

Fig. 2 shows an end elevation of such a device;

Fig. 3 is a plan view 01': the mechanism carried by the movable member of a thread rolling machine and arranged to be driven from a cam thereon;

Fig. 4 shows a transverse section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 shows the device mounted on the fixed member and actuated from the movable member of a thread rolling machine;

Fig. 6 shows trimming means mounted to trim from the opposite side of the carriage from that shown in Fig. 5, and

Figs. 7 8, and 9 show schematically the relative positions of the different parts when mounted as in Figs. 1 and 2, during progressive stages of the operation.

Referrin to the drawings in detail, similar reference characters being used to designate similar parts throughout the various figures, 20 is a frame of a thread rolling machine with a reciprocally operating member 21 mounted therein and carrying a die 22 in a well known manner employed in such machines, Another die 23 is mounted in the frame 20. Blanks 25 are supplied to the dies by an inclined feedway 24 as shown, a finger 26 being retracted in a well known manner, upon each reciprocation of the movable die 22, to feed a blank to the dies.

A carriage 10, to which a suitable tool 12, preferably a file is fastened by screws 13, has extensions 66 and 67, which are cut away on their lower sides to allow the passage of a cam thereunder, and cam rollers 14 (Fig. 4) are fastened to these extensions by screws 15. These rollers ride in cam slots 17 (Fig. 1) out in a plate 19 and provide means for advancing the file toward a blank 30 during the rolling thereof. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 an arm 40 swings on a fixed pivot 42 to which it is secured by a screw 44, another screw 46 on the carriage 10 being free to slide in a slot 48 in the arm 40, while a coil spring 50 exerts a continuous downward pressure on the carriage to insure it against vibration and to cause proper seating thereof a washer 54 being inserted between this spring and the arm 40 to provide a bearing surface between these members. A post 52 riding in an enlarged portion of the slot 48 is secured therein by a screw 56.

When a file is to be carried at the tangential speed of the shank of the blank it is mounted as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. When thus mounted a member 100 fixed to the movable member 21 within an opening 98 formed in the carriage 10 by screws 99 secures the carriage 10 to the movable member 21 of the thread rolling machine leaving the carriage free for reciprocatory lateral movement but preventing longitudinal movement except as it is carried with the movable member. The member 100 is formed with projecting lips 101 at opposite ends as clearly shown in Fig. 3 which project over the upper face of the carriage 10 thereby preventing a longitudinal movemens of the carriage upon the member 21 but permitting a reciprocatory and lateral movement thereon in the operation of the mechanism. A cam 102 mounted on the frame of the thread rolling machine by means of screws 1 serves to advance the carriage toward the blank during the effective stroke of the die while the arched spring 103, pressing against the inside of the laterally reciprocable carriage on one side and the member 100 fixed to the member 21 on the other, tends to force these members apart and thus keep the cam rollers in contact with the cam at all times, moving the carria e away from the face of the die during the recovery stroke thereof.

Where exceptionally fast cutting is desired, a tool such as 126 in Fig. 5, or 127 in Fig. 6, may be used with the carriage mounted as shown in Figs. 3, 4, or With the device mounted as in Fig. 5, the carriage is free to move laterally, but not longitudinally, and the cam 116, out in plate 114-, serves to advance the carriage toward the face of the die on the effective stroke of the machine, and away from it on the recovery stroke thereof. This is accomplished by rigidly mounting a cam roller on the underside of arm 110, a screw 112 being used to secure it in place in a manner similar to that employed in securing cam rollers 14. The arm 110 is rigidly secured to the carriage by screws 130, and this arm transmits the cam action to the carriage, the cam rollers 1st being idle when the device is mounted as shown in Fig. 5.

The operation of the device is as follows:

Mounted as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and schematically in Figs. 7, 8, and 9, the movable member 21 moves back, considering the lower end of the plan view as being the front of the machine, to its rearmost position, when the feed finger 26, being retracted, permits the bottommost screw in the feed slide to drop into a position where it may be gripped between the dies as the movable member starts forward. Carriage 10 is now well toward the front on the movable member and cam 17 holds the file 12 away from the face of the die, the relative position of the dies being as shown schematically in Fig. 7. During the forward stroke of the movable member the blank is gripped between the dies and rolled in a well known manner, the direction of its rotation being counter-clockwise. During this stroke the carriage 10 is impelled rearward on the movable member by means of the arm acting on the lug 16 between the pivot 44 and stud 56. During this rela tively rearward action the file 12 is gradually advanced toward the blank 30 as illustrated in Fig. 8, removing as it does so the undesirable projections from the blank. The position of the file 12 may be regulated by loosening screws 13 and moving the file in the slots 19, and should be adjusted so that, when the rolling operation is completed. as shown in Fig. 9, and just before the dies clear each other and drop the blank, the plane of the file will be tangential to a head of the proper size and shape. The method of mounting illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is designed to give an action of medium speed and is desirable in working small blanks of soft metal where it is not required to remove such material.

Figs. 3, 1, and 5 show the device secured to the member upon which it is mounted, by means of the member 100, in such a manner that it is free to more laterally of such member, but not longitudinally thereof as hereinbefore described. \Vhen mounted thus, and using a file of the type shown in Figs. 3 and 4:, the speed of the file as to the projections is the difference between the tangential speed of the shank of the blank and that of the files point of contact with the projections.

The arrangement which produces the fastest cutting action is that. shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the file in these cases having a cutting speed equal. to twice the rate of progress of the blank between the dies, or in other words, a speed equal to that of the moving member during its effective stroke. lVhen thus mounted the trimmer will effectively remove reasonably large projections, reduce over-sized heads or shanks to a predetermined size, and perform other operations requiring the removal of a considerable amount of metal.

The movable mounting for supporting the file 12 may be equally well located either above the movable die 22 as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 1 and 6 or above the fixed die 23 as shown in Fig. 5, since it is constructed so that it may be universally supported upon the machine in the manner illustrated in any one of the figures.

In any of the embodiments of the invention shown, the gradual and positive advance of the trimming file toward the blank gives a clean removal of all projections and insures against their being turned back out of reach of the cutter, as might be the case were the projection to receive the full impact of the file at its first contact.

hat is claimed is:

1. In an article processing apparatus, means for rolling the article along a predetermined path, a trimming means, and means controlled by the first-mentioned means for advancing the trimming means toward the axis of rotation of and thereby trimming the article I 2. In an article processing apparatus, a fixed member, a movable member adapted to roll the article along the fixed member, a trimming means, and means controlled by the movable member for advancing the triniming means toward the xis of rotation of and thereby trimming the article.

In an apparatus for trimming a projection from a surface of an article, means for rolling the article along a predetermined path, a trimming means position adjacent the path for engaging the projection during each revolution of the article, and means controlled by the first-mentioned means for advancing the trimming means toward the surface while the article is rotating to remove the projection in successive stages.

4.. in an article j )I'0(3GSSlI1g apparatus having members operated reciprocally relative to each other, means located above the fixed member for trimming the article, a movable mounting :t'or said means adapted to be located interchangeably above either member and means for actuating said mounting.

In a combined rolling and trimming machine, a fixed member, a movable member (Jo-operating therewith to roll a blank, a movable mounting adapted to mount interchangeably above either member, a cam for actuating the mounting at an angle to the path of the blanks between the members, trimming means located on said mounting, and a driving inci'ins for actuating the movable n'iounting.

(3. in a trimming machine for use with a thread rolling machine, a tired die, a movable die, cooperating therewith to roll threads on a. blank, a movable mounting, a trimming means located thereon, and means cc-i'itii'olled by the movable die for advancing said trimming means angularly to the path of the blank.

7. in a combined. screw processing and trimming machine, a lined die, a movable die cooperating therewith to produce screw threads on a blank, a n'iounting adapted to be located above either die, cutting means located thereon, means for actuating said cut ting means angularly toward the axis of the screw blanks between said dies, and a driving means for propelling said mounting,

8. In a trimming mechanism for use with machines having mutually reciprocating dies for processing blanks, a removable mounting adapted to be located interchangeably above either die, means located thereon operating angularly to the path of the blanks for trim ming the blanks, a cam for actuating the trimming means, a driving means for the mounting.

9. In a thread rolling and trimming machine, a fixed die and a movable die cooperating to propel screw blanks and roll threads thereon, a movable mounting adapted to be located above either die, a trimming means located thereon, a cam for actuating said mounting angularly as to the path of the screws, and means for restoring the trimming means to normal after each operation.

10. In a mechanism for mounting on thread rolling machines, in combination, a movable carrier, a cutting means adjustably mounted upon said movable carrier, means for propelling a screw blank past the cutting means, and means for actuating said carrier at an angle to the direction of the blank to remove a projection from the blank.

ll. In a screw thread rolling machine a pair of relatively movable dies adapted to roll threads in a screw, a reciprocating support for one of said dies, and a cutter carried by said support and adapted to engage the head of a screw during a portion of the threading operation and to remove burs and projections tl1ereirom In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 6 day of July A. 1)., 1923.

lVlLLlAlt l HENRY POTTER. 

